


The Messenger Of Fate

by OtomeHime (Kosho)



Category: Mystic Messenger (Video Game)
Genre: F/M, Games, Multi, Relationship(s)
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-09-16
Updated: 2016-09-19
Packaged: 2018-08-15 09:09:59
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 6,141
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8050489
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kosho/pseuds/OtomeHime
Summary: Yuuki is an anxious person who ends up stuck in an apartment, in charge of planning a party with people she has never met. She knows she can be quite charming if a situation requires it, but just talking to these people she now has to work with causes her to feel things she can't quite process.





	1. Route 1 - Zen

**Author's Note:**

> My character was named Yuuki after myself...so please bare with me on this. Originally I was going to make different stories for each route, but then I thought it might be better to put it as one, and just differentiate in the title who the route is for. I don't know whether to start with my favorites first or get the ones out of the way that I didn't like nearly as much? 
> 
> I suppose I'll do them in order, perhaps.

As the text scrolled quickly across the screen, she grimaced, scarcely able to keep track of the conversation that was happening. Ultimately, this was easier at least, than a face to face conversation, it seemed she was only good with words in print, when it came to actually talking… well, it was a mess. How did this come to pass, anyway? Being helpful was always her primary goal, but it had never turned out quite so strangely for her before. To be in an unfamiliar house at the behest of some stranger, on a chat room that appeared to be very private, it was surreal. They hadn’t really noticed her, and as nice as it was to be invisible, it wasn’t right to simply  _ lurk _ …

 

“Hello…” she typed nervously. 

 

The text scrolled past quickly again, before it was clear they were confused and curious as to who she was. She was confused too, but it was only normal to be honest, right? 

 

“I’m Yuuki, though I don’t know who any of you are, or what this place is…” her fingers moving more nimbly now. 

 

More text scrolled by quickly, backtracking in an effort to try and keep up. Less focus placed on who she was and more where the apartment she was standing in was and how she had the password. She didn’t like to lie, so in that spirit, she decided again to be honest. 

 

“I...well, I was talking with a stranger, and he gave me the password. He said he wanted to return a phone he found. He(?) had the address, I think.” Was that too much to say? 

 

“Do I have the username or chat record?” she read out loud, a bad habit she had. The name said 707, but wasn’t that just LOL upside down? 

 

“It just said ‘Unknown’ and the record seems to be gone…” she entered.

 

Where did she download the messenger? Wasn’t that obvious as well? 

 

“@ app store.” she tried to keep it simple. “What is this chat?” 

 

A flood of messages poured in, overwhelming in volume, and her head was aching now, giving up on trying to keep up with the conversation and simply replying to what she could keep up with. 

 

Yoosung? Another name she wasn’t sure of, Either way, he seemed curious about if she was really a girl. The day was so strange, it had her second guessing as well. Glancing down, she sighed, of course she was, that seemed to preclude the idea of it being a dream, anyway. She let the question go, even though she was suddenly curious how anyone here could possibly know if she was or wasn’t. The man named V told the others to not ask her about the location, and also told her not to tell them either. 

 

“I kind of just want to know what’s going on?” she said...well, typed. 

 

The answer seemed to involve a manner of party with a variety of guests. V left quickly before she could have her questions answered, but it seemed she was now stuck here. How was that going to work, she couldn’t possibly afford a place this nice, and at the end of the day, she wasn’t used to living alone either.

 

Jumin Han, it sounded familiar, but it might have just been her imagination, she didn’t really know many people. He asked her to join the RFA, but it felt like she already had been inducted, it was likely just a formality. 

 

“I can try my best.” the one thing that came to mind that wasn’t too depressing. 

 

A few more messages scrolled past, and then, only notifications that everyone had left. Strange how even though she was the stranger, the one interrupting things, their sudden absence, even as strangers, was a little lonely. Perhaps it was simply being in an unfamiliar place by herself that made her think so, but it was as if she had opened her eyes and realized that the crowd around her was only in her thoughts. Sighing heavily, she sat on the floor, closing her eyes until her notifications went crazy. How did she already have messages? 

 

>Unknown

The man (?) from before? ‘Enjoy your time with everyone, I’ll go get you soon.” 

 

Creepy, didn’t they just say no one knew where the apartment was? Even if he had the address and the door code, it was a little odd to just say something like that. A strange person wanting to come get her didn’t feel safe in the least. 

 

‘Are you dangerous?’ she murmured out loud as she tapped the screen, as if they could hear her speaking as well. 

 

>Yoosung

 

‘So nice to meet you’ 

 

She scoffed quietly at that. Anyone would say that, to be nice, but few who had personally met her felt that way, or at least it seemed that way to her. 

 

‘This must be fate, right?

 

Wasn’t it strange that he was comparing her to someone she had never met? Fate wasn’t real though, was it? Everything was all consequence of choice or lackthereof…

 

“I’ll try my best…” she said, sprucing it up with a smiley face, even though she wasn’t actually smiling. 

 

‘Looking forward to getting to know you!’

 

Wow, he was fast to reply. At least through chat, she could try to be optimistic about it. It would be nice to make friends, but at the same time, her habit of saying the wrong thing without realizing it was wrong was troublesome, best not to reply for now, since she couldn’t think of a single appropriate answer. 

 

> 707

 

‘Welcome to the RFA’ 

 

Standard fare, at least when entering something new, right? Wasn’t it proper to greet someone like that. 

“I’m looking forward to partying tonight!’ 

 

She tried to sound enthusiastic, but being realistic, she had never been to a party, except for maybe a few small birthday parties that she had been invited to by probably reluctant family members out of obligation? 

 

‘The party isn’t tonight lolololol’ 

 

Ah. Well that made it awkward. No way she was going to reply when she had just made herself look foolish like that. 

 

>Jaehee Kang

 

‘This is how you send texts’ 

 

She had texted people before, that was always easier than talking to someone. Instead of that, she opted to be gracious. 

 

‘Thanks for telling me :)’ another smile that wasn’t real. Sometimes it felt like she hadn’t smiled in years. Surely she had though? 

 

>ZEN

 

‘We can send each other texts through this app’ 

 

Hmm. That was a challenge, she wanted friends, it was true, but also wasn’t it better not to be awkward about it? Nothing for it, nothing was gained by not trying. 

 

‘Let’s talk about personal stuff’ no smiley, very serious, so it wouldn’t be brushed off as an ill attempt at humor. Though after she sent it, she realized it might have been wrong to be so forward so soon. 

 

‘Lololololol’

 

Oh no, not laughing so much like that. 

 

‘I like how bold u are lol’ 

 

Not even full words, that was discouraging. At the same time though, wasn’t that a compliment? Bold wasn’t really a word that described her, or at least it wasn’t one that had been used for her before. Maybe it was positive. 

 

Oh no, now her phone was ringing. Ahh, talking to people was so stressful. 

 

>Jumin Han 

 

Of course it would be a guy who called. Why couldn’t it have been Jaehee, at least other women were a little easier to talk to…

 

‘This is Jumin Han, but you must know that from the name on the screen.’ he began. 

Unfair. He wasn’t just a man, but he was an attractive sounding one too. The gods were laughing at her now, not enough to be put into an awkward situation like this, but he had to sound good too? There was a lump in her throat as she tried to decide what to say.

 

‘I’m sure you’re glad to talk to me, but no need to get too excited.’ Oh, Jumin was so cool about it too. Could he tell it was hard to handle such a situation? ‘I only called to hear our new member’s voice. Nothing else. But I will take just one question, ask me if you have any.” 

 

A question for the man called Jumin Han? How could she if she had only just spoken to him for the first time.

 

“How does my voice sound?” she asked without thinking, her curiosity spilling into spoken word before she had a chance to stop it. 

 

“Do you want me to judge your voice?” he asked. 

 

‘ _ Not really.’ she thought. ‘Being judged only hurts.’  _

 

“I didn’t want to go that much into details, but...I’ll listen if you want.” he said. 

 

Ahh, so it really was troublesome after all. It felt like it would be worse to take it back and waste his valuable time like that…

 

“Talk again, slowly” he instructed. 

 

What exactly was she supposed to say? Her mind blanked on her just then, deciding to settle on the first thing that managed to weakly drip into her thoughts. 

 

“Ju~min~han” she said, quietly and slow. 

 

Gods save her, she just said his name. That was unbearable, and she could think of no reason why  _ that _ had to be the first thing she thought of. 

 

“I didn’t expect you to say my name. You’re quite bold, you surprised me.” he mused. 

 

There was that unfamiliar word again. It felt so jarring and out of place with her, a mousy type who was actually surprisingly good at faking her way through most conversations, but when she wanted it to count, could only bring hurt. 

 

“I’ll judge it as you asked.” he said. ‘There is often a person whose voice hurts your ears like shattering glass.” 

 

She covered her mouth, too nervous to say anything now. She subjected him to such a horrible thing, and now her punishment was struggling not to whimper on the phone. 

 

“But your voice is nice. I like it.” he said. 

 

Her eyes widened, though he couldn’t see it. It was...nice? That was good news, at least. How could she peacefully work with these people if she knew even one person found her hard to listen to? 

 

“I think I can listen to it longer.” she bit back a slight smile, almost missing his words. “You can be happy, that is the best compliment.” 

 

More words she had blanked on. “You must have seen my face in all those tabloid magazines.” 

 

Ahh, she didn’t actually read those. It was probably embarrassing to admit that she didn’t really read magazines. Really, if she read at all, it was fantasy books, or the occasional manga or comic, but he seemed quite serious, so it was likely he wouldn’t want to hear of those things. 

 

“I’m quite bored, it won’t be bad to hear your voice.” 

 

Well, at least he wasn’t against it entirely. That was a plus. 

 

“How old are you?” she wondered out loud. 

 

He didn’t have to answer, he had said only one question, and already she had went against that, even after wasting her question on asking how her voice sounded to him. 

 

“27.” he replied. “I’m sure it isn’t polite to ask your age.” 

 

He wasn’t as old as she imagined he was. Had he chosen to ask, she would have willingly volunteered her age, she considered herself an open book, willing to answer any question. As far as that goes, she wanted to be transparent and had no real boundaries that she could define. Perhaps that was part of her problem though. 

 

“I had fun talking to you.” she told him. 

 

Maybe that was also bold? It wasn’t a lie though, for the first time she could recall, she actually enjoyed talking to someone on the phone instead of simply texting where no one could see her reactions, or know how she was doing beyond a simple smiley face or maybe the occasional crying emoji.

 

“I had fun as well.” he said. 

 

That was also unexpected. How could anyone have fun talking to her, when most people would say it was the worst part of their day. She never meant to bring other people down, it was only that she couldn’t really tell if what she was saying was good or bad. The reassuring click told her he had hung up, and she breathed a huge sigh of relief. This entire situation was stressful, and she was glad that at least one part of it was over. 


	2. A Welcoming First Day (Pt 1)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Yuuki is having a strange first day, flooded with uneasy feelings, distant memories and strange thoughts.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I think because in 11 days and counting the after story, there's a ton of messages, I might skip some, but I'll try to be inclusive, also, the dialogue is often different, because I don't necessarily want to word for word everything, I feel like that would be less exciting than just playing. 
> 
> Since this Yuuki is based off of myself, some of the things are slightly similar to me to offer an extra layer of depth, but not everything is absolutely me haha.

It was a long day already, and it was only made worse by the anxiety of the situation. V had seemed like someone everyone trusted and respected, with the exception perhaps of Yoosung, and he had made it clear that she shouldn’t touch anything, in case the alarm went off. Considering this really wasn’t her apartment, it wouldn’t do for the police to come and arrest her for trespassing, at least. Assuming that was the worst that would happen, even if this was where she had to stay for now. Out of sheer boredom, she fidgeted with her phone, switching between the little profiles at the top, grimacing with a frustrated sigh. How was it everyone looked so nice? Compared to that, she might as well not exist, in the same room with all of them for a party, who would look at her? A sound went off, directing her that someone was still online. Zen was on, her fingers unconsciously tapping on it before she really thought it through. Hm, he wasn’t saying anything, perhaps she should say something first. He was supposed to be a musical actor though, so perhaps a poetic greeting might be nice? 

 

‘In this dark endless night, art the water drops on the window my solitude, or thy teardrops…’ she typed out, second-guessing just after she hit send. 

 

>Zen 

 

Whut;;? 

 

Are you Shakespeare or something? 

 

Art thou from the Victorian age? 

 

She had to stop reading for a moment. Something about it made her giggle, just a little bit, the first time she had managed even so much in awhile. 

 

‘I’m Emily Bronte’ she entered jokingly. 

 

‘Is that Shakespeare’s daughter?’ he asked. ‘Maybe not? I wasn’t good in school. I get that you were being poetic though...I’m not sure what it meant though. But according to you, I’m crying and you’re lonely? Do you...want to see me...cry? You should have just said that. I look good when I cry. I don’t get it, but a lot of girls say that lol.’ 

 

She tilted her phone away for a bit. Actor or not, that was almost a little sad. She could be sad all she wanted and that wasn’t really important, but for someone like him, it seemed like he shouldn’t ever cry. Maybe it was just his face, or some weird concern for someone she didn’t know, but seeing other people cry always made her strangely uncomfortable, like she was supposed to say or do something but never could. 

 

‘Haha, anyways, I’ll stop. I’m finally relieved since you’ve joined. Honestly, I don’t like any of the guys in the group.’ 

 

It wasn’t really all guys though, it had struck her as strange though. Before, she recalled Yoosung mentioning it being a sausage fest, but wasn’t that just ignoring that Jaehee wasn’t a man?  Did that mean if Zen didn’t like the guys, that he liked her? Or was he also lumping her in with the guys? It wasn’t jealousy, but more a curiosity for her, a vain attempt to try and learn the way these people thought.  She glanced back, frowning at all the missed posts, too emotionally exhausted to scroll back to read them just yet, maybe later. 

 

“I stayed in the group because of V. ^^ I think it’ll be fun if we can be friends. It’s been five years since I had a girlfriend. Damn.” he said. 

 

“More than that for me.” she told him before she could even think it through. 

 

Damn, he didn’t need to know that. Even so, without the reasoning, it probably seemed pathetic anyway. If so, she had just willingly shared with a stranger how pathetic she was… 

 

‘You’re more advanced. Sorry I didn’t recognize it, but it probably isn’t because you’re not attractive. Let’s cheer up! I think I’ll get a girlfriend when it’s time. I like talking to you, I hope we can talk often.’ his words already felt strangely familiar. 

 

Well, she didn’t think so, but it wasn’t like others hadn’t said she wasn’t cute before, and had she the motivation to do more than just basic grooming, maybe she  _ could _ be really cute, but styling her hair and doing makeup was so much work, and if no one was around to appreciate it, it didn’t feel worth it. Why other girls bothered was beyond her.

 

‘I’ll go rest now, don’t stay up too late, pretty girl.’ her face felt warm. 

 

Oh… she was blushing, but why? It was just a compliment from someone who had never seen her or knew what she was like, she couldn’t really put stock in that. Though at this point, even a confession of love would have felt misplaced. Surely it wasn’t even possible to love someone you didn’t actually know, that much, she was sure about. That much was personal experience for her. She didn’t see a reason to going out, and instead had spent many of her early teen years in chat rooms, her first serious boyfriend being when she was 14. It had lasted a few years, and it had felt like love, hearing his words, getting his letters, it was everything back then, something that would never end. Until one day, it did, when his last letter arrived, explaining he had met someone closer and they were planning to get engaged. It had been long enough to have mostly forgotten him entirely, no longer remembering the features she once considered more handsome than any other, and perhaps that skewed her perception. It might be possible to love without knowing what someone looks like, but even so, it wouldn’t be him, or at least, not with her. That much was sure, a successful musical actor with his looks and charm? He could likely have anyone and anything he wanted, and that would never be her. Besides, she didn’t know many of his works, so it wouldn’t be useful in any way.

 

Ahh, that was a problem too, her mind instinctively traced out that possibility despite only really just meeting him. She did like musicals, though, all kinds, she even liked ones that many others didn’t, simply because music was such an emotional, deeply feeling thing, saying things for her when she couldn’t, it felt like there was nothing music couldn’t do. With musicals, the passion of the performers really shined through, even in cases with subpar acting, and sometimes, that was enough. No one needed perfection with that level of devotion. The question wasn’t whether Zen was good looking, or talented, but how passionately he delivered his performances, a question she couldn’t truly answer objectively. Truthfully, she was tired, but even using the bed felt weird, a strange sense like she just shouldn’t do it overcame her the minute she glanced towards it. 

 

It was a very nice bed, but it was wrong. Unsure if the feeling was instinct warning her away from it or if it was the more strange reasoning that it was the bed of a dead woman that made her feel that way. Instead, she pulled her knees to her chest, laying her head on her knees, staring at her phone. Yoosung was now on, laughing at Zen’s confession that he hadn’t had a girlfriend in so long, saying that he hadn’t ever had one. It reminded her that she hadn’t really had a true relationship either. 

 

‘Me neither. Not really.’ she mumbled as she patted the keys. 

 

‘I’m not lonely because I have you! Let’s cheer up!...Let’s get fried chicken together sometime…’ Yoosung’s words were lonely too. 

 

How she could possibly be a cure for his loneliness was beyond her understanding. Also, she wasn’t particularly sad about the lack of experience in relationships, most of the time, she was fine with the solitude and the times when she wasn’t? It was more out of general loneliness, a problem just having a friend would solve just as well. On the other hand, food was expensive, and fried chicken sounded really good. Though without being able to tell anyone where she was, or being able to leave, that wasn’t possible.

 

‘Yeah, sounds really good…’ she posted.

 

‘Kewl!!!!’ she cringed at the old spelling, wondering when the last time she had seen anyone type like that. Probably not since the 90s. “I really like you T_T. I have to take the bus now.” 

 

It made her wish she had a shell she could crawl in and hide. Why was it more than one person was already claiming such a thing? It had the feeling of friendliness, but even that seemed too much, they had no reason to like her, not when none of the members, save for Seven perhaps, knew anything about her. It made her curious though. If Seven knew so much about her just from searching, she had to wonder if she should have been more careful, perhaps delete her sorry shopping history, or maybe delete her playlists? She valued her music, but for someone who could access her life so easily, she worried what those songs could say to the person who could interpret her based on that. She couldn’t do it, even so. Almost as if emphasizing a point to herself, Yuuki popped in her earbuds, quickly choosing a random song and setting it on shuffle. Her lip curled in bitter disgust at the selection, abruptly changing it, a song that emotional and sad had no business playing at that moment, she wasn’t sad at all, just blank and exhausted. When she was satisfied, she turned her attention back to the chat, only to see that Yoosung had disappeared. Perhaps a quick nap would be enough to recharge her, and maybe someone might be willing to talk when she got up.


	3. A Welcoming First Day (pt.2) - Zen Called

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Yuuki decides to chat a little more. Her phone rings, and she hears his voice for the first time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I thought to make it more of a realistic character by adding in details from life as well. Since I'm not super creative, I used myself as a reference for certain things. This means that in the story, Yuuki is a marketing major in college, and also has a slight problem with her heart. Nothing untreatable, but it makes her have to stay a bit calmer. 
> 
> Much of her details are not true to life, however, because I don't want a character based entirely on myself.

Yuuki groaned uncomfortably. A quick check of the clock on her phone told her it hadn’t been a long nap, but long enough that her knees, back and neck ached from the way she had sat. She slowly stretched her legs out with a quiet whimper, the pounding bass in her ears reminding her she had left her music on even while she slept. A sound called her attention to the messenger, taking a deep breath, poking the new room curiously. 

 

‘Hello’ she said.

 

>ZEN

Welcome Yuuki~

 

>Jumin Han

Hello. 

 

>ZEN 

So lame that you say hello back lol 

 

>Jumin Han

I have to be polite to a fellow member. 

 

>ZEN

I see you’re helpless in front of V.

 

>Jumin Han

Isn’t everybody? 

 

Hm. Well it was clear there was a bit of tension between the two, though she couldn’t begin to imagine why that might be. Jumin was formal, but he seemed nice enough, not very given to his emotions, and she could respect that, maybe even relate a little bit. Zen was gorgeous, and he knew it, unrestrained by his career choices, it felt. He liked to have fun and be himself, very respectable, something she envied just a little. Why couldn’t she be more like that? To have fun without being concerned about what others might think for it?

 

What were you doing, Zen? 

 

>Zen

I was about to get breakfast, I’m an actor, so I don’t really have a set schedule. I’ll go to rehearsal later lol. But Mr. Corporate Executive, you’re not going to work? 

 

>Jumin Han

I was about to leave. What are you doing at this hour, Yuuki? 

 

Well, she could be completely honest and admit she took a nap because she hated the idea of being alone in an unfamiliar house where she didn’t want to touch anything, and didn’t feel like she could just leave, and that she was actually lonely. Or she could just play it off, and act like she was completely fine, Zen wasn’t the only one who could put on a good act. 

 

I was just bored lol. 

>Jumin Han 

I see, I guess you and Zen have something in common. 

 

>ZEN

It’s the same as you too…

 

>Jumin Han 

Sure. This room is addictive, I can brag about Elizabeth 3rd as much as I want. 

 

>ZEN

Whatever;; No one cares about cat pictures. 

 

>Jumin Han

Take this. 

 

A portrait shot of a white cat? That must be Elizabeth 3rd. Such a formal name, but then, Jumin was a pretty formal man, it made sense. At the end of the day, it was still more creative than, say...Snowball or Marshmallow, something that would reference only the color of its fur. She’d had many pets before, even cats, probably not the best idea considering just about every animal she’d had elicited some manner of allergic response. Nothing too serious, but even just a quick pat on the head was often enough to send her into sneezing fits for the rest of the day. She tolerated it strictly because she really loved animals, though she was glad she didn’t have any when she came here originally. 

 

Oh. A Cat. 

 

>Jumin Han

I tend to believe that a person who likes animals can’t be bad. 

 

She thought the same. If an animal didn’t like you, didn’t that mean there was a problem? Yuuki was the type who could approach a dog that everyone swore was vicious and give it a warm hug without any problem. In fact, the one cat that she had stayed with that didn’t like her was an anomaly, the kind of cat that only liked one person anyway, and didn’t want to deal with anyone else. 

 

>ZEN 

You only believe what you want to believe.

 

>Jumin Han 

Certainly, that’s life.

 

>ZEN

Don’t pretend to be so above everything!

 

>Jumin Han

Anyways. Cats are the best pet, so Yuuki, you should look into it. 

 

Ah. I’ve had them before, among other things. Cats are alright. 

 

Was she even supposed to say something like that, to talk about herself? Seven and V hadn’t said she couldn’t, only that she wasn’t allowed to give out the address to the apartment. 

 

>ZEN

What do you think, Yuuki?

 

Oh hell. What did she think about what? She glanced up at the previous conversation, shrugging to herself. 

 

‘I think it’s better to treat people like humans, instead of being really strict. Isn’t it right to treat people how you want them to treat you? I heard that a lot, anyway.’

 

More bickering, culminating with Zen telling her to just ignore Jumin, and then sharing a story about his director. Then more back and forth, things she wasn’t prepared to follow. 

 

Labor management is a complicated subject, why don’t we talk about something else?

 

She didn’t want to talk about things she already had to deal with in her school life, it was enough of a headache dealing with that. Ugh. Now they were arguing again, this time over pizza bread and cats...These two seemed like they could fight about peace…

 

>ZEN

Bye.

 

Oh, he was leaving? That was fine, but she hoped she hadn’t said or done anything to encourage his quick flight. Maybe she should say something nice so he didn’t feel bad? 

 

‘Good bye, lovely Zen ^^’ 

 

She thought maybe that was a little too forward, but most people felt good when their looks were acknowledged, right? Yuuki thought most, but that made her different too, she knew their were a million women better looking than her, so it felt like an awkward lie when people complimented her. 

 

>ZEN

...Lovely Zen? Omg. My heart just jumped a bit. 

 

She put her hand over her chest at that, suddenly reminded of her own. She had to be careful to avoid that. 

 

Jumin quickly left, and she wondered if he thought leaving quicker was a competition that he had just won by leaving before Zen? 

 

>ZEN

What’s with that old man…;; Anyway, let’s talk soon ^^

 

Ack. What was with him? Even after she was sure she had said the wrong thing, he took it well and still wanted to talk again? So weird. Either way, it didn’t look like anyone else was talking just yet, so she was prepared to plug her phone in and watch something on her phone. Even if she was willing to poke around the apartment, she hadn’t exactly noticed a tv there. That and her stomach hurt, she was hungry, but she didn’t want to raid the fridge, Rika was the previous owner, and had been dead for some time, if she understood correctly, so the odds that there was even anything left in the fridge were slim, and if there actually was? She didn’t want to imagine what it probably looked like inside. She hadn’t had the chance to get money before she came here either, so even if she felt safe enough to leave, she didn’t know her way around well enough to find a place to go, and if she did, she didn’t have enough money on hand to get something. She had snacks in her bag, so she’d ration them out enough to keep her health up, of course. 

 

*Brr, Brr, Brr* 

 

Her phone was ringing. Jumin had previously been the only one who called, and he was at work, why would he be calling? He had a business to run, more important than talking to someone like her. She answered anyway, surprised at the different voice on the other end. It wasn’t Jumin, but she hadn’t looked to see who it was. Her heart jumped to her throat at the sound, it was a nice voice, but one which made her nervous and unsure what to say. 

 

“H...hello?’ she asked nervously. 

 

“Hey, where are you?” the man asked. 

 

“Uh...at the apartment, still.” she mumbled nervously. 

 

“What are you talking about? What apartment?” he asked again. “Huh? I’m sorry! What did I say to a person I just met! God, sorry! I was trying to call someone else.” 

 

No problem there, this wasn’t the first time such a thing had happened, and it likely wouldn’t be the last. Her finger hovered over the button, ready to hang up, since it seemed to be a mistake. 

 

“Seven told me your number earlier, so I saved it.” he said. 

 

Hmm… So for sure, Jumin had her number and...glancing at the phone curiously, she frowned. Zen. He had her number too? It wasn’t that she disliked him, on the contrary, he was actually quite pleasant, and treated her nicely, even though if the situation was reversed, she wouldn’t trust someone who had penetrated a private circle, even unintentionally. Perhaps he was too nice. That, and he was handsome, a fact which reminded her he was definitely out of her poor league. 

 

“I hope you don’t mind. All the members have your number just in case.” he said. 

 

If there was an emote she could use outside of her phone, she knew of two which came to mind immediately. ‘D:’ and ‘;3;’ that meant a lot of people had her number, and she wasn’t quite sure why. In case of what? What reason could anyone have to call her? 

 

“I don’t mind…” she mumbled again. 

 

“Well, since we’re on the phone already, let’s talk. How about it? Do you have any questions?” Zen asked. 

 

_ Only about a million… _

 

She thought to ask about the other members, but thought better of it. If they wanted to trust her enough to let her know about themselves, it should come from them. Perhaps if he was willing, maybe she’d just ask about him instead. 

 

“What kind of person do you think you are, Zen?” she asked curiously. 

 

Hopefully, it didn’t sound as severe over the phone as it did in her head. 

 

“A perfect man? Well, I don’t know how else to put it...I’m handsome...I can act, I can sing, I can dance...I’m basically perfect. I’m a poet who can charm any lady. Oh! Except for the fact that it’s been years since I’ve dated and I’m super lonely, I’m perfect. How about it? Are you interested now?” he told her. 

 

Ahh, well, he did  _ sound _ perfect, but again, out of her league. Even if she was interested, she wasn’t prepared to just say so. He was teasing, she imagined, although, her mind did run off with her for a moment. They had some common interests, anyway. She wasn’t star quality, but she liked to sing, and dance too, but she rarely had the chance to, and she wasn’t very good. For her, dancing was best left a solo affair where no one could see her doing it. Super lonely, that explained a lot though, he was really friendly, and was nice to her, at least. She was lonely too, so it was nice to have someone to talk to like this, even if he was only joking. 

 

“Come to think of it, this phone call was a complete accident, but it’s not awkward at all. Good. It’s not easy to find someone you can just talk with without worrying about anything. Maybe fate wanted us to meet.” he said. 

 

That was dangerous talk, involving fate like that. Fate might be responsible for her ending up in the RFA, but she was doubtful that fate intended her and Zen to meet, that would be the cruelest joke, to get to be even just really good friends, and then, at the party, find out he’s more than a little disappointed in what he sees. Maybe he wasn’t worried about anything, but she was. She was always worried, her mind was a sorry thing that liked to consider every possibility, even when it was unlikely, and as such, she was always worried about saying the wrong thing and pushing people away. 

 

“I should be thankful for my fingers.” he said, making a kissing sound. 

 

She laughed a little, and she hadn’t meant to. Why thank his fingers for calling probably the most average person? Even when she was thinking about herself, she thought she was terribly boring, no career, still in school, no idea if she was even on the wrong path, interesting hobbies, but presented in the most boring way? If she were anyone else, she’d even pass on being her own friend. Maybe there was a possibility she was being too hard on herself, but what was to gain by second guessing herself?

 

“It was fun talking to you. Let’s call often, okay? If you want to listen to a serenade, call me anytime. I’ll prepare a number just for you.” he offered. 

 

Wow, she couldn’t imagine how he found it fun, but if he wanted to, she’d be willing to talk with him more. Against her wishes, the idea of anyone singing to her, something made just for her actually made her heart beat just a little faster, and for a moment, she worried he could hear it over the phone. It slowed quickly enough that she wasn’t concerned with it, but it was something she needed to keep an eye on. 

 

“Alright, sure. Let’s talk more often, I like the sound of that.” she said, the words spilling out before she could stop herself. 

 

He chuckled quietly, and she wasn’t sure if it was a good thing or a bad thing, but it was a pleasant sound. 

 

“Bye!” he told her. 

 

He was busy, and it was clear he had been waiting for someone, likely to do with his rehearsal, so it didn’t trouble her to leave the call like this. 

 

“Goodbye, Zen.” she murmured. 

 

She ended the call as well, setting her phone down, mildly confused still as to what had just happened. Seven really was good if he had not only found her number but handed it out, and he was the only one that knew what she looked like. If he knew even that much, there was a good chance he already knew everything about her, reinforcing her desire to be honest, what point was there in hiding anything, when she had no idea how much he had shared with the others? Granted, he had only confirmed her name was what she had said it was and shared her number, everyone else still seemed to be in the dark about her looks, so it was possible he hadn’t said anything else about her.


End file.
